Death at the Circus
by Dede42
Summary: One year after defeating Ra's al Ghul and the League of Shadows, the Dark Knight is gradually cleaning up the streets of Gotham, and the circus comes to town. When three members of the Flying Grayson's, John, Katherine, and Dick, are murdered in front of the sole survivor, Diana Grayson, Bruce fears that she will go down the same path he did. But will she?
1. Chapter 1: CIRCUS! CIRCUS!

Batman: Death at the Circus

A/N: I'm back! So this takes place roughly one month after _Batman Begins_ , and one year before the events in _The Dark Knight_. This is a story I've been thinking about ever since I saw _The Dark Knight Rises_.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _Batman_ or from _Batman Begins;_ I only own the characters that I created.

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE: CIRCUS! CIRCUS!**

It was a warm summer day in Gotham City, and the city folk were excited for both the upcoming 4th of July events and the circus; at that very moment, a long caravan of long-haul trucks, vans, pickups, and other types of vehicles were making their way across Gotham Bridge and toward Wayne Park, one of the biggest parks within the city limits.

* * *

In one of the vans, a fifteen-year-old girl with wavy brunette hair and hazel eyes had her face pressed against the window, watching as the tall buildings drew closer and closer, and she could feel the excitement building up inside her at the same time.

"Diana, sit down, honey," her father, John Grayson, requested. "We'll be across the bridge soon."

"Yeah, sit down, squirt," said her eighteen-year-old brother, Richard Grayson, tugging on the back of her shirt, so that she fell backward onto the seat, and grinned when she swatted at his hand.

"Don't call me squirt, Dick," Diana protested, sitting up and fixing her seatbelt while scowling at her brother. "I'm not _that_ short anymore," she added proudly, having grown four inches in the last month.

Richard grinned and missed up her hair, making her squeal in protest. "You'll always be a squirt to me, sis."

"Ok, behave you two," Katherine Grayson scolded, "or else you both will be confined to the fairgrounds the whole time we're here."

Eyes widened at the threat, and the siblings quickly obeyed, making their parents smile; neither of them wanted to pass up a chance to explore the city with the other kids, and, maybe, catch a glimpse of the mysterious Batman.

"Sorry, mom."

"Sorry."

John chuckled and kissed his wife's hand as they entered the gray city.

* * *

Two hours later, the last vehicle in the circus troupe pulled into the massive roped off field, and soon everyone was out and busy getting set up; as the circus folk worked, several additional cars: two police cars and two limos pulled into the nearest parking lot, and a small group of people got out.

These were the selected delegates for the city: Mayor Anthony Garcia with two aides, Police Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb with Detective Gerard Stephens and Lt. James Gordon, and billionaire play-boy Bruce Wayne with his faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth.

* * *

The group walked along a pathway that led to the fairgrounds, where an iron fence was being set up to replace the rope, and the gateway was already set up; inside the fence, Roberto the strongman was helping with the setup of the dunking tank when he saw the representatives heading his way.

"Hey, boss!" he called up to John, who was currently on top of a tall pole and hooking up lights. "We've got company!"

John waved down to the strongman and then launched himself off the pole, did a flip midair, and landed on his feet, bowing as the group clapped and the circus folk cheered. "Thank you, thank you."

"That was impressive," Mayor Garcia commented, "and I'm sure your upcoming performances will be even more impressive."

"I can assure you that they will be, Mr. Mayor," John said confidentially.

"Call me Anthony, I insist," said the mayor and then he did the introductions. "These are my aides, Smith and Jones. This is Police Commissioner Gillian Loeb, Detective Gerard Stephens, and Lt. James Gordon." He then wrapped his arm around Bruce's shoulders. "And while _this_ young man needs no introduction, I'll do it anyway: Bruce Wayne and his faithful butler, Alfred J. Pennyworth."

"A pleasure to meet you all," said John, shaking all of their hands, including Alfred. "If you'll follow me, I'll give a tour of the circus to give you an idea of what you'll see during the performances."

* * *

The final stop of the tour was the big top tent, which had three large wooden rigs on the ground, and in the central ring, a rehearsal was going on high in the air on the trapeze; high above their heads, Katherine gracefully leapt from the platform, caught the bar, and swung through the air.

"Impressive," Bruce commented, watching as Richard caught his mom's arms and swung her onto his swing. "Your family?"

John nodded. "Yep, my wife Katherine, my son Richard, and on the opposite platform is my daughter Diana."

Bruce watched as the girl in question leapt from the other platform, catching the trapeze and swung through the air several times before letting go, flipped twice, and was caught by her brother so that all three of them were on the same trapeze.

The group clapped and one-by-one, Katherine, Richard, and then Diana all dropped off the trapeze, flipped, and landed on the net below; they rolled off, and joined John.

"Sweetie," he said to his wife, "this is the delegation from Gotham. Mayor Anthony Garcia, his aides Smith and Jones, Police Commissioner Gillian Loeb, Detective Gerard Stephens, and Lt. James Gordon; and this is Bruce Wayne and his butler Alfred Pennyworth."

"A pleasure to meet you all," said Katherine politely and smiled at Bruce. "It's been a long time, Bruce."

Bruce raised his eyebrows. "Do I know you?"

Katherine chuckled. "Not really, but I'm actually a native of Gotham," she explained. "My maiden name is Pearson."

"Of course," said Bruce, "your parents are Philip and Julia Pearson. Philip talks about you still."

"I'm sure he does," Katherine agreed, "and I'm sure that my mom is still angry with me for running off."

Bruce chuckled. "Well, she's still making an impact at social events…at least ones I've been to since returning to Gotham last month."

While they talked, John introduced his kids to the group and explained of how it was traditional for the older kids of the circus to take a tour of the city once everything had been set up, and always with adult supervision; while arrangements were being made for the tour, John went over the Wayne Foundation fundraiser plans with Anthony and Bruce and how much money would most likely be raised during the five performances for the next five nights.

* * *

When the group left to head back to their responsibilities and activities, John and Katherine walked back to their trailer together.

"Should I be worry about Bruce way stealing you away?" John teased and Katherine laughed, lightly swatting his arm.

"Of course not," she responded. "I'm perfectly happy with you and our kids."

John nodded. "Honey, I noticed that you've set tickets aside for your parents," he told her. "I'm guessing that you're planning on inviting them?"

Katherine sighed. "I want to, and I _really_ want my mom to meet Richard and Diana; plus, if I can mend fences, then my dad won't have to sneak away to visit like he has been for the past nineteen years."

"Agreed, our _beautiful_ children need to know _both_ of their grandparents and not just their grandfather," said John, kissing his wife's cheek. "So, do I need to sneak out to drop a note at their house?"

Katherine nodded. "No, I got a call from my dad, who confirmed that my mom will be at her favorite department store at the Gotham City Mall today."

"And that just happens to be where we'll be sending the kids right?" John guessed and his wife smiled sheepishly. "Oh, you can be _so_ sneaky sometimes."

Katherine laughed. "Well, it's a trait that I get from my dad, who ruled at hide-and-seek when I was a kid, and him being a former marine has rubbed off on my bit."

"More then a bit," John corrected as they entered the trailer. "Like your dad, you are _fearless_ when it comes to heights."

"And I'm quite the sharpshooter, too," Katherine reminded him. "And thanks to him, I'm still the reigning champion of Laser Tag."

"For now," John teased. "But I'm taking you out tomorrow to _finally_ beat you."

"You're on."

* * *

Meanwhile, Richard and Diana were with the other older kids on one of the buses heading into the city and toward the Gotham City Mall; when they arrived, the adults passed out envelopes filled with money to the kids with instructions to not spend it all, and to be back by the entrance by 4:00 pm.

The kids split up into groups and headed out to explore the mall, and Diana went with some of her friends up to one of the upper levels to explore the department stores.

"Let's go into this one," said one of her friends, pointing to the entrance to the Bloomindale's Department Store.

"Nah, that place is too expensive," said another friend. "Let's go elsewhere."

Diana glanced over at the window displays, where there were several dresses, including a strapless yellow gown that actress Zoe Naylor had modeled at the Alex Perry Celebrates 10 years of fashion. "Actually, I think we should go in there, too." And headed for the store surprising her friends, who quickly followed.

* * *

The inside of the store was filled with the latest fashions, various merchandise, and also had fantastic sales; Diana walked through the store, pulling out a piece of paper from her jeans pocket and glanced at it.

"What's going on, Diana?" her friend asked, spotting the paper. "What're you doing exactly?"

Diana didn't say anything as they went up to the next floor, where there were more dresses and over a dozen fitting rooms being used; she led the way to an area where elegant women business suits were on display and duck behind a display and her friends joined her.

"Diana, what're we doing up here?" her other friend hissed. "What's on that paper?"

"Instructions of how to find my grandmother," Diana answered, peering around the display to where two older women were busy looking through racks of business suits. "I have a note from my mom that I need to give to her, and I'm already nervous enough as it is since I've never met her before."

Diana's friends exchanged surprised looks when a tall slim woman with white hair and grey eyes entered the area and one of the employees greeted her as "Mrs. Pearson"; the girls watched as Julia was escorted over to a display of new business suits, selected several, and then led her into the nearby fitting room.

"Okay, if that's your grandma, how're you gonna get the note to her?" her friend asked.

"Like this." And Diana slipped behind a nearby display and did so again when no one was looking, and her friends watched, surprised.

* * *

Barely a minute later, Diana managed to slip into the fitting room area, ducking behind a rack of clothes that were waiting to be put back on their respective racks and watched as the employee left one of the rooms and went back out into the store; once she was certain the close was clear, Diana came out of her hiding place, moved quietly to the fitting room and slipped a white envelope under the door before hurrying away.

* * *

Inside the fitting room, Julia Pearson was trying on a cream-toned business suit when she heard a faint whispering sound, turning she noticed the envelope on the floor with her name written across the front in neat handwriting; frowning, she bent down, picked it up, and then opened it to find a folded piece of paper inside, along with two photos.

Taking it out, Julia unfolded the paper and began reading the contents:

 _Dear mom,_

 _If you're reading this, then it means that my daughter, your granddaughter, Diana, was successful in delivering it to you; I admit this isn't how I would do things, but I know that you still resent the fact that I ran away from home and joined the circus. I love my life, my husband, and my children, and I am hoping that you and dad will come to one of our performances while we're in town for the next five nights._

 _There are tickets waiting for you both at the ticket booth at the front entrance for each of the following nights; I truly want to see you again, mom, and I want both Richard and Diana to know their grandmother. If you are willing to accept me back into your life and accept your grandchildren as well, then please come as I truly miss you both._

 _Your loving daughter,_

 _Katherine Pearson Grayson._

Julia read the note several times and then pulled out the photos, which were of Richard and Diana, both wearing their circus outfits and smiling brightly. _'Oh, sweetheart,'_ she thought as her eyes started to itch with unshed tears, remembering the argument she'd had with Katherine the night before she'd ran away nearly nineteen years ago, _'I miss you, too.'_

She carefully slipped both the note and the photos back into the envelope, which she then placed inside her purse, thinking; yes, she truly missed her daughter and did regret the fight they'd had, and God knew that Philip had been pressing her to mend fences and get to know their grandchildren before it was too late.

' _We'll go tonight,'_ Julia decided, _'and we'll arrive early so that I can see Katherine before the performance. Now, if I was my granddaughter, which store would I be in? Hmm.'_

* * *

"So, how is it that you've never met your grandmother before?" Diana's friend asked as they left the food court with ice cream and were now heading for a nearby music store to look at CDs.

Diana shrugged. "All I know is that only my grandfather has ever shown any interest in getting to know both Richard and myself, but that my grandmother still resents the fact that my mom joined the circus and married dad."

"Sounds like she has some _serious_ anger issues."

"I guess," Diana admitted as they finished their ice cream and headed into the store. "My mom's hoping that they'll come to the show while we're in Gotham," she added as they went to the show tunes section to see what was on sale that they could buy.

As they explored the CD selections, Diana almost jumped out of her skin when a hand touched her shoulder, and she spun around to find Julia standing behind her. "Oh!"

"Hello," said Julia briskly, "you must be my granddaughter Diana. I'm Julia Pearson, your grandmother."

Diana went numb with shock, not having expected this, and struggled to form words, much less an entire sentence. "Um…ye…hi?"

"I'm sorry for startling you," Julia apologized and held up the envelope. "I found this and I want you to know, that I and your grandfather will be coming by the circus later, to both see you, your brother, and your parents before your performance tonight."

"Uh, sure, I'll let them know," Diana promised, flushing.

"Good," said Julia and she walked briskly away, leaving behind a trio of stunned girls.

Diana blinked and looked at her friends, spooked. "Okay, did that just _seriously_ happen?" and her friends numbly nodded. "Wow."

* * *

A/N: And that concludes the first chapter, see you all next week for the next one. R&R everyone!


	2. Chapter 2: THREATS AND DEATH

Batman: Death at the Circus

A/N: Hey, so I am posting this today instead of tomorrow since I'll be busy with both work and a class that I started last night, and so here's the next chapter!

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _Batman_ or from _Batman Begins;_ I only own the characters that I created.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO: THREATS AND DEATH**

Later that same day, the kids returned to the circus, put away the stuff they bought, and hurried off to get ready for that night's show.

* * *

"Seriously, you _actually_ met our ice queen of a grandmother?" Richard asked with obvious disbelief as they headed for the bit top to do some final equipment checks before the show, and some practicing, too.

Diana nodded. "Yeah, Dick, _somehow_ she tracked me down at the music store, actually spoke to me, and said that she and grandpa will be coming tonight."

"Unreal."

"I know," Diana agreed, "and I was at ground zero of an _unbelievable_ event."

* * *

Still amazed, they entered the tent to find their parents being confronted by several tough-looking men, and standing nearby was Roberto and several other circus employees, who were keeping an eye on the situation.

"Who are those guys?" Diana asked quietly.

Richard shrugged, frowning. "I don't know, but they don't look pleasant." He then nodded to the platform just above their heads. "Let's go up there so that we can listen without being seen and find out what's going on."

"Okay."

* * *

While the teens climbed up to the platform, which had two ropes tied to it, their father John was talking to the leader of the strange, and scary, men.

"Can I _help_ you, sir?" John asked warily.

"My name is Tony Zucco," said the leader, who had black hair, one brown eye and one purple eye, and had a toothpick between his teeth, "and I'm lookin' for the owner of this fine establishment."

"That would be me," said John. "I'm the circus manager, John Grayson. What is it that you want?"

Tony smirked. "I'm here representing my boss, Salvatore Maroni, who wants you to know that we can offer you _protection_ …for a small fee."

John frowned. "And just what sort of _protection_ would you be providing?"

"Oh, just the kind that would ensure that your circus, your employees, and your _family_ aren't harmed by anyone threatening," 'Tony responded with a cold smile.

John's frown deepened. "You say that your boss is Salvatore Maroni?" he asked.

Tony nodded. "Yeah, I did."

' _The Italian, thought so.'_ "Sorry, but I'm not interesting in paying off some Mafia boss," John informed him, "especially the son of the _late_ Luigi Maroni."

Tony frowned. "I think you should be careful with what you say next, John," he warned, "or else you and your family might suffer an accident that they won't ever recover from."

"Are you threatening me?" John demanded, his eyes narrowed.

"Hardly, but I _am_ goin' to give you a demo of what could happen if you _don't_ pay for our protection," Tony countered and nodded to his men, who proceeded to mess with the circus equipment.

Katherine gasped and John shot a look toward Roberto, who nodded; seconds later, Tony's men were being pounced on by the strong man, the lion tamer, and two of the clowns, and they didn't stand a chance. Tony gaped at the sight of his thugs being hauled away and turned, just in time to have John grab him by the front of his coat.

"Listen and listen _good_ ," John snarled. "You know how it's said that we circus folk look after our own? Well, it's true and we don't need or _want_ your protection. Now get out!" and he shoved the younger man toward the tent opening.

Tony staggered forward a few steps and then spun around, aiming a gun-

 _WHAM!_

The thug grunted as both Richard and Diana collided with him, knocking him to the ground and the gun out of his hand, having swung down on the ropes; releasing the ropes, flipping midair, and landing on their feet, Richard grabbed Tony and twisted his arm behind him.

"You heard my dad," Richard snapped. "Get _out_!" and shoved him toward the entrance.

"And if you don't leave right now, I'm gonna call the cops," Diana added, brandishing her cell-phone, her finger posed on the buttons. "You got _ten_ seconds."

Tony scowled, pulled his arm freed, and then stalked toward the entrance, pausing long enough to face the Graysons. "You're gonna _regret_ your decision, pal," he warned and then left.

It was several seconds before the Grayson family was able to breath and did a group hug.

"Nice job, you two," John told his kids, hugging them both. "Had a good time at the mall?"

"Yeah."

"Yup."

"Good, and now let's do some practicing before tonight's performance," John suggested and his kids cheered.

* * *

As the sun started to set and the lights of the circus were turned on, the citizens of Gotham City began entering through the front gate, taking in the sights, smells, and sounds; while the midway was busy with the growing crowd, which was starting to head to the big top, the Grayson family were in their trailer, getting ready for the show.

* * *

"Remind me again why we have to wear such outlandish outfits?" Richard complained tugging at the front of his red/green outfit while Katherine attached a yellow cape to his back. "I look stupid."

"No you don't, Dick," said Katherine, kissing the top of his head. "You look _amazing_." And smiled when her son snorted; she noticed that Diana, who was already in costume, was peering out the window. "Diana, sweetie? What're you looking at?"

Diana flushed, realizing she'd forgotten to tell her parents about the impending visit of the Pearson's, who were heading straight for the trailer at that very moment. "Um, you know that I put that note into Julia's purse when I was at the mall?" she asked and her mom nodded. "Well, while I was at the music store with my friends, she _somehow_ tracked me down and told me that she and granddad are going to visit, and they're outside right now."

Katherine and John exchanged startled looks, turning to the door when there was a knocking sound on it. "Oh my."

"I meant to tell you sooner, mom," Diana admitted, "but I was distracted by that Tony Zucco jerk earlier, and I forgot. Sorry."

"It's all right, sweetie," said John, moving to the door, when there was a second knocking. "You ready, honey?" he asked his wife, who mutely nodded, and he opened the door to reveal Philip, who had silver hair and grey eyes, and Julia Pearson waiting on the porch. "Hello, Philip," he said politely, "and you must be Julia, welcome."

"Thank you, John," said Philip, stepping inside with his wife, and smiled. "Katherine."

Katherine nervously smiled at her father, who was wearing a nice black suit, before looking at her mother, who was looking strict as ever in a silk black dress, pearl necklace and earrings, and black heels. "Hello, daddy. Mother-"

"Katherine, I know what you intend to say, and I want to say that I'm sorry for what I said," Julia interrupted, surprising them all. "It was wrong of me to try and control your life, and I'm glad that you've found happiness with John and I want to get to know my grandchildren."

A startled silence fell over the trailer as the Grayson's and Philip stared at Julia, amazed by her words, and then Katherine threw her arms around her mother and hugged her with tears in her eyes; although caught off guard, the stern woman returned the hug, the first they'd exchanged in nearly sixteen years.

"Thank you, mommy. Thank you."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the big top, the circus crew were busy with last minute preparations with the equipment and no one realized that one of the gray-suited men preparing to pull the trapeze swings upward, was actually Tony Zucco, who used a knife on one of the swings with the intent to do great harm to the Grayson family.

' _I'm gonna make 'em pay for throwing me out earlier,'_ he thought, slicing partway through one of the ropes before moving away so that the swings were soon lifted up high in the air. _'I'm gonna make 'em wish that they'd paid the protection fee.'_

Tony then left the central ring and hid himself behind the one of the bleachers so that he could watch the show while making sure that he had his gun, his 'just in case' policy should plan A go wrong.

* * *

It wasn't long before the main show was in full swing and the bleachers were full with Gothanites, who were cheering and laughing at the various performances, especially when one of the clowns hit the ring master in the face with a cream pie, resulting in the clown running for his life from the enraged man.

Among audience were the Pearson's, who were happy with their visit with the Grayson's earlier, Bruce Wayne, and other important members of the Gotham elite; also present in the big top were the usual circus security, and also Gotham police officers, which included Jim Gordon.

 _`"Ladies and gentlemen!"`_ said the ring master into his megaphone, now completely clean while the clown, now wearing striped prison clothes, was locked in a cage that was being guarded by clowns dressed as police officers. _`"I now present to you all our main event in the center ring. Look to the sky as I present to you the one and the only flying family…The Flying Grayson's!"`_

The crowd clapped and cheered as the four Grayson's ran into the big top, waved, and then began the high climb upward; soon the Grayson's were performing amazing stunts high in the air on the trapezes, and they were doing it without a net; during a particularly dangerous stunt, in which Diana was going to do a Quadruple flying somersault, John, Katherine, and Richard were already on two of the swings, hanging on them with their knees.

Putting the white powder on her hands and clapping them together, Diana was getting ready to grab the swing in order to swing out to her family when there was an sapping noise, and she gasped, alarmed, when one of the ropes holding up the trapeze swing suddenly broke. "Dick!"

Richard started falling toward the ground when John swung out with Katherine, and caught him by his hands; Diana was relieved, watching as her parents began pulling her brother up onto the swing.

 _BANG! BANG!_

There were shouts and screams when two gun shots rang out and one of the ropes on the swing suddenly snapped, sending the three Grayson's toward the ground below; in the shocked audience, Bruce leapt to his feet with an expression of familiar horror on his face, recalling the night his parents died.

' _Oh God! No!'_

" _No!_ " Diana screamed, grabbed a rope, and swung down to the ground as the big top erupted into chaos; she reached the ground and sprinted to the broken forms of her mother, father, and brother, and dropped to their side, ignoring the restraining hands of the other circus folk. "Dad! Mom! Dick! Talk to me! Please!"

John's eyes flickered open and he touched his daughter's hand, prompting her to grasp it tightly. "It's-it's okay, honey. D-don't be afraid…" and he stopped breathing, his eyes falling shut for the last time.

" _No!_ " Diana screamed, her heart breaking as the tears flooded from her eyes and she buried her face into her hands." _Nonononononono!_ " It was when she sat up that she saw Tony, who was smirking with a smoking gun in his hands, and she knew that he was responsible; boiling with rage, she jumped to her feet and ran after the killer, who immediately left the tent, somehow avoiding the security forces.

* * *

Leaving the tent far behind, Diana chased Tony through the circus grounds, using her knowledge and skills to climb the crates that the thug had ran behind; soon she managed to get ahead of the killer, grabbed a rope, and she swung through the air, knocking him to the ground. Landing on top of him, she began hitting him in the face and chest with her fists, screaming at the same time. "Killer! Murderer!"

Tony grunted under the assault until he managed to hit her across the face with his gun.

Grunting, Diana fell to the ground stared up at him as he stood and aimed the gun at her head, cocking the hammer and began to pull the trigger; just then a dark shape dropped from the sky, a black cape spread out behind him, and he struck Tony across the face, while knocking the gun from his hand.

"Oh wow," Diana whispered and watched as the dark knight knocked the killer out and tied him up. "Batman…"

Batman straightened up, turned to the girl, and walked toward her; Diana quickly stood, both scared and excited as he towered over her, and she saw in his eyes, which seemed to glow inside the mask, understanding and compassion.

"Are you all right?" he asked in a quiet growl and touched the bleeding cut on her cheek with a gloved hand; Diana, ignoring the pain, nodded and she felt the tears burning in her eyes, unable to speak for fear of breaking down. "It's okay to cry," he told her and scooped her up in his arms. "It's okay."

Touched by this unexpected tenderness, Diana wrapped her arms around the dark knight's neck, buried her face into the cape, and she started to cry; Batman carried her back to the main tent and met up with Gordon and several cops.

"Is she all right?" Gordon asked, gesturing to the spandex-dressed girl, who was still crying, having seen the bleeding cut on her face.

"She will be," Batman responded. "Tony Zucco, the man responsible, is tied up down there, waiting to be locked up," he added, and then handed the young girl to Gordon. "Take care of her."

Gordon nodded, taking Diana in his arms, and they watched as the dark knight flew off into the night, and the three cops headed off to collect Tony Zucco. "Come on, honey. It's going to be okay." And he carried the girl back into the tent.

* * *

A few hours later, Diana was now sitting on a bench with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and she was holding a cooling mug of cocoa in her hands with a bandage covering the cut on her face that a paramedic had put on earlier; Gordon was hovering nearby to keep an eye on her, and Commissioner Loeb was talking with Bruce.

"I can arrange the funeral and anything else that's needed," he offered and glanced at the girl, who saw the same understanding and compassion she'd seen in Batman's eyes earlier.

' _Bruce Wayne_ is _the Batman,'_ Diana realized, floored by the fact that she'd figured it out so easily. _'Wow!'_

Just then Philip and Julia walked up, having overheard the young man's offer.

"Thank you, Bruce," said Philip while Julia went over to Diana and hugged her tightly, "but we can handle the arrangements."

Bruce nodded. "Of course, Philip, but should you need any help-"

"We'll call you," Philip promised, shaking his hand, and then walked over to his wife and granddaughter. "Diana, sweetie, we're going to take you home with us, and if you need to grab anything, from the trailer, we can get it for you."

Diana mutely nodded, stood and left the tent with them while Philip thanked Gordon for his help.

Bruce watched them leave as Alfred joined him. "Alfred, what can I do to help the Pearson's? I mean, the man responsible is going to jail, but I wish that there was more that I could do for them, especially Diana."

"Master Bruce, Diana has her grandparents, which is more then most children who lost their families in a single night have," Alfred told his young charge, also thinking of the night that Bruce had lost his parents. "And both Philip and Julia will be there for Diana in the days to come."

Bruce knew that the butler was right about everything, and yet he was worried that the girl would want to do to Tony Zucco as he had wanted to do to Joe Chill seven years ago. "I hope you're right, Alfred, I hope you're right."

"Same here, Master Bruce, same here."

* * *

A/N: Just so you all know, I had a hard time writing this chapter since I don't like killing off characters, but I had to, and so that's that. R&R everyone!


	3. Chapter 3: FUNERAL AND TRIALS

Batman: Death at the Circus

A/N: Hi I'm back with the newest chapter, and I hope that you all are enjoying this story so far. If you are enjoying it, please let me know with reviews, they also help keep my muses motivated.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _Batman_ or from _Batman Begins;_ I only own the characters that I created.

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE: FUNERAL AND TRIALS**

Five days later, the funeral was held in the cemetery, which was located on the grounds behind the Pearson mansion, and most of Gotham had turned out, refusing to let the pouring rain chase them away; while the priest spoke the usual words spoken at most funerals, Diana stood with her grandparents, wearing a black dress that Julia had provided since she didn't have any black clothes, always having been into bright clothes instead.

Bruce was also at the funeral, standing with the Pearson's as a family friend, and he kept glancing at the girl, who had the same dejected expression that he'd had on his own face all those decades ago. _'I know how she feels, I've been there before myself.'_

* * *

When the priest was done the three coffins were lowered into the graves and everyone gathered were given a chance to toss either handfuls of dirt or flowers on top before they were buried; once this was done, the crowd dispersed and Bruce approached Diana, who was standing near the graves, clutching an umbrella in her hands to protect her from the rain.

"Diana," he said and she peered up at him. "I'm _so_ sorry for your lose, and if there is anything that I can do to help, I will," he added honestly.

"Thanks, Mr. Wayne," said Diana, looking back at the graves that now held her parents and brother. "I miss them _so_ much, and yet I know that they're in a better place; plus Tony Zucco is going to be in jail for a _long_ time, and I'm fine with that."

Bruce blinked and looked at her. "You are?"

Diana nodded. "Yes, I rather he be in jail for the rest of his life, then out on the streets destroying the lives of others." She looked at him and smiled at his surprised expression. "Let me guess, you thought I would want to go after him again and kill him, right?"

Bruce shrugged. "Sort of, I wanted to do the same when my parents were murdered, but I never go the chance because someone else did it instead."

"I admit that it _has_ crossed my mind," Diana admitted, "but to let the rage take control like that, it isn't worth it in the end, since if I was to get my revenge, I would only be hurting myself and no one else."

"Who taught you that?" Bruce asked, wishing that he'd listen to the advice from Alfred and Rachael seven years ago, and yet if he had, he wouldn't have become the Batman.

"My parents," Diana answered. "There used to be this kid in the circus that was bullying me and the other kids, and when I broke his nose in revenge, I got lectured _big time_ of how revenge wasn't worth it, and I've done my best to not lash out since I can be a bit hot-headed."

Bruce chuckled. "Nothing wrong with that." He then took her hand and they walked over to where Philip and Julia were waiting near the limos, and Alfred was waiting with them, armed with an umbrella that he promptly held over the young man, not that it was going to do much good since he was already soaked. "Philip, Julia."

"Bruce," said Philip, shaking his hand and took Diana's hand. "See you at the next board meeting?"

Bruce nodded. "Of course." And headed off with Alfred, and the Pearson's did the same with Diana, returning to the mansion.

* * *

That night, Diana sat on the bed in the bedroom that'd once belong to her late mother, and she was holding a picture of her family in her hands, tears streaming down her cheeks; like she'd told Bruce earlier, she _did_ miss her parents and brother, and she _was_ glad that Tony Zucco would be locked up forever…if she was lucky.

' _I would like to kill the scumbag myself, but it wouldn't be worth it,'_ she thought, wiping away the tears, sniffing, and then curled up on the bed, hugging the picture to her chest, and was wishing that things had been different, wishing that her family was still alive. _'Mom and dad had just patched things up with Julia, and_ this _had to happen.'_

Just then there was a knock on the door and Philip peered inside. "Diana, you want some food?"

Diana shook her head, sitting up. "No, I'm not hungry, grandpa."

Philip sighed, entered the bedroom, and sat next to her on the bed. "Really? Or are you just trying to avoid being in the same room with Julia?" and he smiled at her surprised expression. "Just like your mom, she would do the same when Julia went too far with one of her lectures."

Diana couldn't help but smile; earlier she'd voice about wanting to move into a different room and Julia had strongly objected, resulting in a shouting match, and Diana had retreated to the bedroom. "I guess so. Grandpa, why is Julia like that? I mean, why is she so strict?"

"It's just how Julia was raised by her own family is all," Philip responded. "Diana, your grandmother loves you _very_ much, and she's doing the best she can, considering everything that has happen recently. Can you do the same?"

Diana promised and they hugged, growing closer as a family.

* * *

In a different part of the city, a group of fancy-dressed people wearing owl-like masks were gathered to discuss the incident at the circus and the effect it would have on their own plans.

 _`"Three of the Grayson's are dead, one still lives at the home of the Pearson's,"`_ one of the men pointed out. _`"Surely through her, the bloodline can live on."`_

 _`"No, the bloodline of the Gray Son of Gotham has ended,"`_ said the eldest of the men. _`"She's beyond our reach…but we'll continue to observe the surviving Grayson, and maybe she'll be of use in the future."`_

The group agreed with the decision and departed for the evening.

* * *

Meanwhile, in an unknown location filled with technology, people, and various strange creatures of different shapes and sizes, a group of men and women in black suits were taking a tour through the site.

"As you can see," said a tall dark-skinned woman with black hair pulled back in a tight bun, brown eyes, and was dressed in a black business suit covered by a white lab coat and black heels, "here in Cadmus, we have made _extensive_ progress in genetic research and also advancement in medical technology, too."

"Dr. Waller," said one of the suited people, "this is quite impressive indeed, but we were under the impression that we would be meeting with the director himself."

Amanda Waller smiled coldly. "Yes, and you will be meeting with director Westfield soon enough; he's currently in a meeting with a member of the staff."

* * *

In an office overlooking the complex, Paul Westfield, a tall man with graying black hair and dark eyes was arguing with co-founder Dabney Donovan, who was tall and thin with thinning red hair, watery green eyes covered with wire-rimmed glasses, and was pacing the office.

"Will you _please_ listen to me, Paul?" Donovan pleaded, facing the former general. "Pulling the plug on experiment 49 is a _bad_ idea, especially with all of the successful results in the past eight years!"

"Donovan, I'm aware of the results and the progress made," Paul agreed, but then he tapped the newspaper on his desk. "But after what just happen in Gotham, this particular experiment is done," he added. "The clone is dead and the subject isn't needed – at least, no longer needs to be alive."

Donovan stared at him. "You mean-?"

"I'm not shutting down the cloning projects," Paul confirmed, "and since we now know that a clone can successfully replace a real person, you'll get more funding. Subject 49, can still be useful in other projects, and so you can terminate him."

"Are you sure he won't be missed?" Donovan questioned, thrilled that his clones were useful to Cadmus.

Paul smirked. "Of course not. As far as the world is concerned, Richard Grayson is dead and buried in Gotham City with his parents, who never knew we took their son and replaced him with a clone eight years ago, and his sister never knew either, and never will."

Unknown to the two men, something was listening in just outside the door; having heard enough, this shadowy figure slipped away unnoticed.

* * *

In one of the lower levels, the door to the elevator opened, and the figure, a tall thin creature with blue skin, white horns, and reddish eyes wore a white lab coat and walked down the corridor; it paused outside one of many large doors built into the rocky walls, used a thin white card on a pad, and the door slid upward so he could enter the room beyond.

* * *

Inside the room was over a thousand glass tubes, most were filled with a glowing blue liquid with shadowy figures floating inside, and in smaller tubes attached to them had smaller versions of the blue creature inside them; the creature walked among the tubes until he reached one toward the back of the room that had the label _Subject 49_ printed on it.

The creature peered up at the semi-naked figure floating inside: the figure was a eighteen-year-old boy with longish black hair, blue eyes, and he was deeply asleep; the creature knew that the boy had been placed inside the tube at age eight and was unaware of it, and until a week ago, had been living his life through a clone that was now dead.

* * *

 _Donovan is in the room with the creature and is checking on the health of the various subjects when the alarms on Subject 49 go off; the staff rushes to keep the teen alive while the small creature in the small tube dies from shock._

 _The creature reaches for the small tube and Donovan snaps at him._

" _Dubbilex, leave that dead DNAlien be and help us!"_

 _Dubbilex narrows his eyes at the doctor, looks back at his dead brother, and then goes to help keep Richard alive – for now._

* * *

Dubbilex let the memories of that day fade while making his decision, which would save a life, and avenge his dead brother; like all DNAliens, he was created from human DNA that had been genetically modified to the point that they were more than human with advance abilities.

Dubbilex stepped up to the control panel, typed in a command code, and turned as the tube opened, releasing both the liquid and Richard's unconscious form; catching the limp body in his arms, Dubbilex carried him to a nearby table, lay him down, and then injected a drug into his arm.

Richard woke with a painful gasp and began gagging up the liquid he'd been breathing in for the past eight years; Dubbilex helped him clear his lungs and wasn't all that surprise when Richard yelped at the sight of his unique appearance, having gotten the same reaction out of others in the past.

"W-who or _what_ are you?!" he yelped and looked around wildly. "Where am I?! What is this place? Where's my parents and sister?!"

"Remain calm, Richard," said Dubbilex softly and gently placed his hand on the young man's head, "I am Dubbilex, and I will show you."

Richard was confused until a jolt of energy shot through his body and a flood of images flashed through his mind; mere seconds past, but for him it felt longer as the past eight years were official placed in his mind as memories and no longer a series a dreams, and it ended with the night that his parents and his clone died.

"Oh god!" Richard wept, his shoulders shook as the truth sank in, and he looked up at the creature, which was clearly sharing his grief. "I was living my life through a _clone_? Why do that to me? _Why_?"

"I do not know," Dubbilex admitted, "only that Cadmus, this place, is a secret that few know about, and all DNAliens, like myself, were born here as part of the research."

Richard couldn't believe it and felt himself become truly angry. "Listen, Dubbilex, I _need_ to get out of here, and I need to find my sister to let her know that I'm alive; Diana _needs_ me. Do you understand that?"

"I understand that you _must_ leave this place," Dubbilex agreed, "but seeing your sister is unwise, for she saw your clone die that night, and to discover that you are, instead, alive would be too great a shock at this time."

Richard was about to protest, but realized that Dubbilex was right, and he didn't want to harm his own sister. "But what can I do then?" he asked. "T-the world believes I'm dead and I might as well be, too."

"No," said Dubbilex firmly, "you cannot not wish to be dead, for that is why I'm here; those who run this place wish to end your life, but I intend to save you and help you start a new life until you feel ready to let your sister know that you still live. Come."

Dubbilex then took Richard's hand and led him across the room to the door, where he removed a black bag from a hidden recess in the wall. "Here," he said, opening the bag to reveal soldier clothing and other items, "put on these clothes quickly, and I will get you out of here."

Richard silently nodded, dressed in the clothes that barely fit, and zipped up the bag while Dubbilex opened the door with his card once again; together they entered the corridor and he followed the creature while keeping his head down so that no one would see his face.

* * *

When they were in the elevator, Richard questioned the DNAlien. "Dubbilex, why are you helping me?"

"I help you in order to honor the life of the brother I lost that same night," Dubbilex answered. "You see, in order for there to be a strong connection between a clone and the subject, one of my smaller brothers are used to ensure that connection with their own telepathic powers."

"And the night my clone died, I _almost_ died, and you lost a brother," Richard realized. "I'm sorry."

"As am I," Dubbilex agreed regretfully. "Like all of my siblings, I have powers that include telepathy, and you should know that when I lost a brother that night, I gained you as a brother instead."

Richard frowned. "What? How?"

Once again, Dubbilex showed him images, but without touching him this time.

* * *

' _While Donovan fights to keep Richard alive, Dubbilex secretly extracts some of his own blood and injects it into the young man, and he stabilizes minutes later._

* * *

"You saved my life," Richard remarked, "when you just as easily could've let me died in revenge for your brother."

Dubbilex shook his head. "No, what happen that night wasn't your fault, Dick, and put those thoughts out of your mind; those who run Cadmus are to blame and no one else."

And nothing else was said for the duration of the elevator ride.

* * *

Meanwhile, Donovan was humming to himself as he and two other scientists walked down to the corridor to the labs to terminate subject 49. _'It's a shame to end a life, but this is for science and sacrifices must be made.'_

* * *

They entered the lab and were halfway down the aisle when he slipped and ended up on his back, pain exploding through his head; cursing at the pain, the two scientists helped Donovan up onto his feet, and he spotted a familiar blue liquid spreading across the floor.

"No…" He ran toward the tube containing subject 49, slipping and sliding in the liquid, and stopped, staring in horror at the empty tube. "No! Subject 49's gone! Find _him_! _Now_!"

* * *

In a different part of the complex, Dubbilex and Richard left the elevator and were halfway down a corridor when the alarm system went off, with red lights flashing along the corridor; Richard jumped, but the DNAlien gently touched his shoulder to calm him down, and they continued walking until a door came into view.

Dubbilex raised a hand and both his eyes and his horns began glowing; moments later, the door clicked open, and he herded the young man into a stairwell and up the stairs just as the door sealed itself, cutting off the sounds of shouts and orders filled the corridor.

* * *

They hurried up the stairs for what felt like forever to Richard when they reached another door set in a rocky wall; when Dubbilex pulled out a key, the young man raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as the creature unlocked the door and ushered him outside.

Richard blinked and shielded his face as the bright sunlight hit his eyes; blinking a couple of times, he soon saw that he was standing on a mountainside surrounded by trees, rocks, bushes, and a few small piles of snow.

Confused, he turned back to the doorway, where Dubbilex was standing. "Where am I?" he asked. "Where is Cadmus located exactly?"

"I cannot say at this time," the DNAlien told him regretfully. "For now, all you need to know is that you are currently on Whiteface Mountain, which is part of the Adirondack Mountains in the northern region of New York, and just past these trees you will be able to see Lake Placid. I have placed in your bag additional clothing, some packaged food, money, and other things you will need to create a new life yourself."

"Thank you, Dubbilex," Richard told him. "For all of this, and I promise that when the time comes, I'll help free you, the other DNAliens, and take Cadmus down so that they can _never_ do to others that was done to me."

"I hope that I am around when that day comes, brother," Dubbilex said, stepping back inside the mountain. "Until we meet again, Dick." And the door shut, merging with the rock so well that the young man couldn't see where it used to be.

' _One day, I will take Cadmus down,'_ Richard thought, repositioned the bag on his shoulder, turned, and began heading toward the trees and toward civilization.

* * *

"What do you mean you can't find subject 49?!" Donovan screamed at the guards. "A sixteen-year-old boy can't just disappear!"

"Sir, we've checked everywhere and there's no trace of him, and there's nothing on the security footage either," one of the guards answered. "Apparently the system suffered a glitch during the time he was last seen in the lab, and when you entered the lab."

Dovona looked like he was going to blow a fuse when Paul spoke up in a far more calm tone. "What about the card access system?" he inquired. "In order to access any of the labs, much less the elevator, a security card would be needed."

"We're checking the system right now, sir."

"And that is how you get results, Dabney," Paul added, looking over at Donovan, who was fuming.

Just then Amanda and Dubbilex both entered the office, and the woman was looking grim. "We know who access the system and released subject 49."

"Who was it?" Donovan demanded.

"According to the system," said Dubbilex, "it was you, Dr. Donovan, who released the boy from his tube, and made it possible for him to escape the complex."

Donovan's face went pale with shock and then red with anger. "It _wasn't_ me!" he yelled, whirling around to face Paul, whose face had gone grim at the report. "Paul, you know me! I would _never_ do something like this now or ever!"

"I'm sorry, old friend," said Paul, his expression turning hard. "But it's clear that your card was used, and thanks to our biometric system, you're the only one who could use that card. Guards, take him away."

"No! It wasn't me, dammit!" Donovan roared, struggling as the guards took him by the arms and pulled him out of the room. "I've been set up, and you know it, Paul! I'll get back at you for this! I'll get back at you all!"

Nothing was said as he was taken away, nothing was said even after his shouts faded away moments later, and nothing was said about the matter ever again.

* * *

One week after the funeral, the trial of Tony Zucco was being held at the courthouse and the media was milling around outside since it was being held in a close court by order of Judge Maria Vargas and the new DA, Harvey Dent; of those who were allowed inside were the Pearson's, Diana Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Alfred pennyworth, and a select handful of others, who were going to testify either for or against Tony Zucco.

* * *

Two hours into the trial, Judge Vargas turned her attention to Harvey Dent, who had longish blonde hair, blue eyes, and was making it quite hard for the defense lawyer to get any headway in the trail. "Please call your next witness."

Harvey nodded. "I call as my next witness, Miss Diana Grayson, daughter and sibling of the victims," he announced and turned slightly as Diana stood up and made her way up to the stand while others muttered quietly among themselves.

After being sworn in, Diana nervously smoothed the front of her skirt and then seated herself in the chair. _'I can do this, I can tell the truth, and I would lose my temper… hopefully.'_

"Miss Grayson, can you please tell the court of what happen on the day that your parents and brother died?" Harvey asked.

"Yes," Diana answered, taking a deep breath. "We arrived in Gotham early that morning, we all set up the circus, Richard and the rest of us kids went to the local mall, and when we got back, Richard and I discovered that a man named Tony Zucco and some of his men were giving our parents a hard time. We snuck up onto a platform just above the group, listened in, and when Zucco threatened our parents with a gun, we both swung down on ropes to stop him; before he left, Zucco vowed to make our family pay.

"That night of our first performance, we were on the trapeze and I was getting ready to swing out, when the swing that Richard was on suddenly broke, and he would've fallen just then had my parents not caught him; moments later, two gunshots rang out, and the bullets tore through the rope on their swing and…" she swallowed "…and they all fell to their death. By the time I reached them, my mom and brother were already dead, but my father lived long enough to tell me that it was going to be all right and not to be afraid, and it was then that I saw Zucco and gave chase.

"I managed to catch up with him, stopped him from escaping, and I probably would have died as well, had the Batman not shown up when he did; he-"

"I object!" the defense lawyer, a seedy-looking gun, objected, standing up. "I insist that all mention of the so-called Batman should be strike from the record, and this whole matter dropped since my client is clearly innocent."

Judge Vargas banged her hammer several times and fixed the defense lawyer with a hard look. "Mr. Ramos, your objection has been noted and will be ignored," she ordered and then nodded to Diana. "Please continue, sweetie."

Diana nodded while Darrell Ramos sat down, fuming, and she continued. "After the Batman took down Zucco and tied him up, he made sure that I was all right, and took me back to the main tent and placed me in the care of Lt. James Gordon; since then, I have been staying with my grandparents, and I hope justice will be dealt with fairly and justly."

"Thank you for your testimony, Diana," Harvey said. "Now, can you tell me if Tony Zucco is in this room?"

"Yes, Tony Zucco is seated next to his lawyer," Diana answered, pointing to Zucco at the defense table.

"Please let the record show that Tony Zucco has been identified as the killer," said Harvey, walking over to a table that had evidence bags on it, and picked up one. "And here as exhibit A is the gun that was found next to Mr. Zucco when he was arrested." And he showed it around before addressing the girl. "Is this the gun he used that night?"

Diana nodded. "Yes, that's the gun."

"Thank you, Miss Grayson," Harvey said, putting the bag back on the table. "No further questions, your honor."

Judge Vargas nodded to Darrell. "Do you wish to cross-examine the witness, Mr. Ramos?"

"Yes." Darrell stood up and walked over to the witness stand. "Miss Grayson, how old are you exactly?"

"Fifteen years old as of last month," Diana answered, having been briefed by Harvey Dent that the defense lawyer would start out with seemingly random questions in order to trip her up and then slam her with questions that would more than likely question her own testimony.

"And you have lived at the circus your whole life, correct?" Darrell questioned.

Diana nodded. "Yes, I've was born and raised in the circus."

"And am I right in thinking that you've traveled a lot because of the circus and that you haven't spent that much time in cities like Gotham?" Darrell inquired.

"Objection," said Harvey, standing. "What do these questions have to do with the case?"

"I'm wondering the same thing," Judge Vargas agreed. "Mr. Ramos, do you have any questions related to the case at hand, or are you just trying to waste the time of this court?"

"I'm sorry, your honor," said Darrell smoothly, "and I will take back the last question I asked. Miss Grayson, are you certain that you saw what you said you saw that night?"

Diana nodded. "Yes, everything I saw happen exactly as I said it did."

"Miss Grayson, are you aware of your mother's connections here in the city?" Darrell asked suddenly.

"Yes, I do actually," Diana confirmed. "My mom didn't keep it a secret about being the only daughter of my grandparents, and that she chose to give up a life full of riches for the life of greater riches that come from raising a family."

"Really?" Darrell questioned. "So, the reason your _mother_ left was to have a family, and not because your _grandmother_ chased your mother away because of a strict upbringing and so many rules that your mother wasn't able to breath or do what she wanted with her life?"

Diana was wrong-footed and didn't know how to answer the quick-fire questions and then was spared the need to answer by Harvey standing up once again and speaking up.

"Objection! Ma'am, he's clearly attacking the witness with questions that have _nothing_ to do with this case!"

"Sustained," Judge Vargas confirmed and fixed the defense lawyer with a stern look. "Mr. Ramos, if you verbally attack the witness once more time, I'll throw the case out for wasting everyone's time. Now, I ask you again, do you have any questions related to this case?"

For a moment it looked like Darrell was going to speak and then mutely shook his head, turned around, and sat back down.

Pleased with his decision, the judge nodded to the young woman. "You may step down, Miss Grayson."

Relived, Diana quickly left the witness stand and went back to sit with her grandparents, and gave Bruce a tiny smile when he reached over and squeezed her shoulder.

* * *

After four other witnesses were called forward, two by Harvey and two by Darrell, and questioned, plus a short break for lunch, everyone returned to the court room, and Judge Vargas spoke.

"Normally, this kind of trial would take several days, but it's clear that this won't be happening this time," she informed the room. "Mr. Dent, Mr. Romas, please give your closing statements to the jury now."

While Darrell was clearly caught off-guard by this, Harvey, however, was fully prepared and stood to go first. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury…"

* * *

Once the closing statements were given and the jury stepped out to review everything they'd heard, the rest of those gathered also stepped out to wait for the verdict, and Harvey was assuring the Pearson's and Diana that the defense has no case and that they would win when Rachel Dawes walked up.

"The jury has reached a verdict and wants everyone back into the courtroom."

Harvey checked his watch. "Wow, only five minutes to decide, new record." And this earned a few chuckles as they all went back into the courtroom.

* * *

Once everyone was seated, Judge Vargas spoke to the assembled jury. "Have you reached a verdict?"

One of the jury members stood up. "We have, ma'am." And then read from a piece of paper. "We the jury have found the defendant, Tony Zucco, guilty on three accounts of murder in the first degree."

There was a mixture of reactions from the crowd, with Darrell protesting loudly, and then the judge hit her hammer several times to get them to settle down.

"Settle down!" she ordered loudly and then spoke more calmly. "Because of the verdict, Tony Zucco will be sentenced once month from today, case dismiss."

As the guards moved to cuff Tony, he suddenly jumped up and turned to face the crowd, pulling out a gun from the inside of his jacket. "You're dead, bitch!" and aimed it at Diana; however, the Pearson's bodyguard, a tall black man in a gray suit, quickly shoved her down, barely avoiding the gunshot himself, and the guards were quick to tackle Tony and got the gun away from him as the courtroom erupted in turmoil.

* * *

 _`"And this was the scene in the courtroom, where, mere moments after receiving the verdict of guilty, Tony Zucco attempted to kill Diana Grayson with a gun that was somehow smuggled into the room, and was stopped by the quick action of the Pearson's bodyguard, Keith Burns, a former Marine, pushing Diana to safety and enabling the security guards to take down Zucco, who was dragged out of the room vowing revenge,"`_ a brunette-haired woman reported from the steps of City Hall, where people were coming and going and cops were still milling around to handle the aftermath of the trial. _`"Whether an additional charge of attempted murder will be added to the ever-growing list of charges already on Tony Zucco's record will remain to be seen; this is Summer Gleeson signing off."`_

As the news shifted to other matters, Richard turned back to the mirror over the sink in the hotel room he was currently in, and resumed trimming his longish hair to a more manageable length with a pair of scissors; after hiking down the mountain, Richard found a rest stop, where there was a tour bus and a large group of people gathered around for a restroom break.

Slipping into the nearest restroom stall, Richard had quickly changed into different clothes, and then he managed to get on the bus with the rest of the people with no one questioning him at all; after getting off at a town, he was now staying in a hotel room until he could figure out what to do next.

' _At least our parents' killer is going away for a long time, hopefully,'_ he thought, finishing the cutting of his hair, which wasn't exactly perfect but was definitely shorter, put the scissors away, cleaned up the bathroom sink and counter, and then sat down on the bed to go through the remaining contents of the bag.

Like Dubbilex had promised, there was two shirts, two jeans, and other clothing other than the security guard uniform, assorted packaged food that could be either cooked over a fire, on a stove, or in a microwave, two grand in cash, toiletries, notebooks, writing supplies, bank passports, a laptop, several flash drives, and other electronic devices.

' _I'll say this for you, Dubbilex,'_ Richard thought, carrying the laptop over to the small table and set it up, _'you do know how to prepare for a jail break.'_ Sitting down in the chair, he opened the laptop, powered it up, and examined the flash drives; there were three of them, and each was labeled with different names: education, financial, and social.

Richard glanced at the screen and saw a single document on the desktop; curious, he clicked on it and it opened to reveal a list of instructions of how to create a new identity for himself, and what was stored on the flash drives that would also help.

Chuckling, he went to work, following the instructions in the document, and soon narrowed down a list of possible new identities based on the info on the social flash drive that would allow him to not have to change his personal appearance too much; after a few hours, he leaned back in the chair and stretched, having created his new identity and background information to go with it.

"Now to figure out where to live that isn't in Gotham, but isn't too far from my sister or my grandparents," he muttered, accessed the internet, and did a search of cities located in either New York that were near Gotham, or were in nearby New Jersey; after doing a search through Google, he finally settled on Blühaven, New Jersey, which was located across the Lower/Sandy Hook Bay from Gotham City, and while it wasn't the safest city in the world, it was the best place he could go at this time.

' _If Cadmus is looking for me, they probably expect me to head straight to Gotham and Diana,'_ Richard thought, while making plans to head out as soon as he could. _'They won't expect me to leave New York and move to a different state altogether…hopefully.'_

He still didn't like doing any of this, but it was the only way to keep his little sister safe, and it was also the best way for him to look after her until he was ready to seek her out and let her know that he was still alive and had been tricked for the past eight years with a clone.

' _And that clone definitely had my family fooled,'_ he thought, warming up some food for himself. _'I'll give Cadmus credit for that, but that's all they're getting from me…for now. Like I told Dubbilex, one day I'll track Cadmus down, crack them open like an egg, and free Dubbilex and the rest of my new extended family.'_

* * *

A/N: And that's the end of this chapter. Please let me know what you think of the twists I've been throwing your way. R&R everyone!


	4. Chapter 4: MAKING FRIENDS

Batman: Death at the Circus

A/N: Here's the final chapter, guys. I hope you've enjoyed this story, and believe me I had fun writing it. So, next week I'll be starting on season three of Supernatural, and I'm sure the Supernatural fans will be excited about that.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _Batman_ or from _Batman Begins;_ I only own the characters that I created.

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE: MAKING FRIENDS**

In the months following the trial, Diana worked on adjusting to city life and having an different kind of social life from the one she'd known at the circus, one thing that didn't change was when a large box was delivered to the Pearson's home, and she revealed to her grandparents that it contained a black 1969 Harley Davidson motorcycle.

* * *

"Dad and I were working on restoring it," she explained after wheeling it out into the garage…well one of _five_ garages. "He said when I was old enough, I would get to keep it and ride it. It was our project."

Philip walked around the bike, inspecting it, and was impressed by the progress that had already been made. "You already got a lot done, sweetie," he commented. "Do you have a photo of what it originally looked like to work from?"

Diana nodded and pulled out a photo from a folder, handing it to him. "Right here, grandpa."

Philip compared the photo to the actual bike and nodded. "Impressive." And then he looked at his wife, who was eying the motorcycle critically. "What do you think, honey?"

Julia didn't answer right away and walked around the motorcycle, but didn't get too close, and then looked at her granddaughter. "This was a father/daughter project?"

"Yes, grandmother."

Julia looked back at the bike, thinking, and then came to a decision. "Well, if you always make sure to get all of your schoolwork and any other important things done first, you may work on it here in the garage, promising me that you'll always clean up after yourself and not track any mess into the house."

Diana's face brightened. "Yes, grandmother, I promise."

"Good, and within the next year when you have turned sixteen and have passed all of your required driving exams, you may use it as transportation," Julia added. "Providing, that Keith can keep track of you when you're not at home."

"I promise, I promise," said Diana excited and hugged her grandmother, who stiffened for a moment, and then relaxed and returned the hug. "Thank you! Thank you!"

"All right, all right," said Julia, finally pulling free with a slightly flush expression. "Now, I have things to do, and so do the both of you," she tsked and went back inside, but was privately enjoying the fact that she'd managed to connect with her granddaughter, even if it was over a noisy machine, and that was what mattered. _'Normally I would have said no, but that bike is from her late father, and she needs to keep something of him around.'_

* * *

A week after the arrival of the motorcycle, Diana and her grandparents were attending an social function at the local museum, where many of Gotham's elite were in attendance, including those who had teenage sons and daughters; while the Pearson's socialized, Diana wandered over to the tables that were loaded with food, nodding to Bruce Wayne, who was in attendance with his latest date, and then turned her attention to the fancy food.

 _'How can anyone not gain a ton of weight after eating all of this?'_ she wondered, being careful to avoid the caviar, having had a bad experience with it last month, and then she was distracted when she heard arguing at the other end of the table. Looking for the source, she frowned when she saw that several boys, who she recognized since they attended the same prep school she was now attending, were picking on a fifteen-year-old girl, who had long red hair, green eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses, and was wearing a green satin dress and green heels, plus she was clutching a plate loaded with salad and other vegetable-based foods. _'Not again.'_

"Look at the _green_ girl eating her _green_ food," one of the boys sneered. "What do you have against meat anyways?"

"Yeah," said a second boy, pinching her arm _hard_. "You're skin and bones, Ivy, you need some _meat_ on those bones."

The girl pulled away with a snarl. " _Don't_ call me Ivy! My name is Pamela Isley! And I have a medical condition that won't let me eat red meat and you know it!"

This just caused the boys to keep bullying her until Diana stormed over and pushed them away from the redhead. "Leave Pamela alone!"

"Oh look," said a third boy, sneering at her, "its the circus freak- oof!" He then grunted when her fist landed in his stomach.

"Anyone else?" Diana challenged, her fists at the ready, and she only lowered them when the boys bolted. she then turned her attention to Pamela, who was staring with wide eyes. "You okay, Pamela?"

Pamela nodded. "Yeah, you didn't have to step in like that," she pointed out, clearly not used to having others stand up for her.

"I know, but I also know what it's like to be bullied for being different," Diana replied. "Beside, I knew a girl back in the circus who was an diabetic and she got teased for it until I pointed out that teasing someone for a condition that they had no control in getting isn't something to laugh about and they stopped. So-?"

"I have what's known as Juvenile hemochromatosis," Pamela explained. "Basically, I can't have anything too heavy in iron or else I overload-"

"And you could die," Diana guessed. "Makes sense to cut back on red meat like beef."

Pamela nodded and they spent the rest of the evening getting to know each other and became friends. Julia and Phillip watched their granddaughter, happy to see that she was making friends, and decided to let the earlier fight slid…this time.

* * *

A/N: And this ends the story. R&R everyone!


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